


Take Me To Another Lifetime

by lauwrite



Series: The Irishman and The Lady [4]
Category: The Last Kingdom (TV), The Warrior Chronicles | The Saxon Stories - Bernard Cornwell
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, One Shot Collection, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:54:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27454588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lauwrite/pseuds/lauwrite
Summary: A serie of One Shot about Finan and Saegyth ( OC) but set in a Modern AU
Relationships: Finan (The Last Kingdom)/Original Character(s), Finan (The Last Kingdom)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Irishman and The Lady [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1852000
Comments: 8
Kudos: 12





	1. The Calm After The Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my friend @poguesmaybank on Tumblr, I have been obsessed by a modern setting of my two babies and so... this was born. I'll probably write other Modern Settings with them, one of the reason being, I have a lot of ideas, the other being, playing them on the Sims 4 gives me a lot of modern vibes!
> 
> ANYWAY : enjoy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finan and Saegyth have a free weekend, their bunch of kids spending a few days at Osferth and Eadith’s place, and they intend to enjoy it.

Saegyth took a moment to appreciate the silence, standing in the entrance of the house. No sound of little feet running down the stairs, nor shouts of children too happy to see her back home and jump around her. Saegyth loved her children, they are the apple of her eyes, but God, how this silence was enjoyable.

She kicked off her shoes and removed her coat, hanging it before walking to the kitchen. On her way she heard the shower upstairs and after taking a glass of water and putting the last cherry tomatoes on the fridge in a bowl, she decided to join the last person that could be in this house. She walked in her bedroom, after avoiding toys dispersed in the corridor, they'd have some clear up to do later, but she pushed the thought away. Right now, she deserved to enjoy some free time. 

She smiled when she noticed the door of the small bathroom was slightly open, some steam passing in the gap. She put her bowl on the dresser before taking one tomato and knocking at the bathroom's door. The water stopped and she opened the door, leaning against it and tossing the tomato in her mouth. Through the blurred shower wall she could distinguish her husband's body shape. His head popped from behind the wall, a huge grin blessing his face. 

"Ya're home early." He noticed and she nodded, her eyes trailing on the strong shoulder she was able to see. 

"I wanted to enjoy as soon as possible our just us weekend." She said, still hardly realising they wouldn't have the children around for two more days. "How did it go? How were Osferth and Eadith?" She asked. 

Finan chuckled. "Aye, good. Eadith wasn't here yet, only Osferth. Baby Monk looked a little… lost." 

Saegyth shook her head in amusement. Two weeks ago, Osferth and Eadith asked them if they could take the kids for a weekend, the three of them. Finan had choked with his beer and Saegyth had looked at them with wide eyes. Not that their kids were horrible ones, she had witnessed some terrifying scenes in various places of children driving their parents up to the wall and had then considered that her own were a gift. Though, the three together could have the same effect as a storm, a simple look to their house could prove it. 

But the couple insisted, saying they wanted to test their skills with children and they finally accepted. They had known Osferth since university and trusted him enough to give him their children, and Eadith was a really kind woman who had always seemed pretty fond of them each time they visited. But mostly, the occasion of having a weekend on their own was tremendous. 

"We will be lucky if he doesn't call before she comes back." Saegyth said, starting to unbutton her shirt. 

"He said that everythin' would go perfectly well." Finan replied, waving an hand. 

"Did he just say 'perfectly' ?" She raised an eyebrow while she dropped her shirt in the dirty laundry bin. 

"He added 'absolutely'." The Irishman grimaced and Saegyth glanced at him.

"Then he'll call." She shrugged, though an amused smile was pulling her lips. 

She removed her bra and her trousers and she heard Finan appreciatively hum as she put her phone near the sink, checking the sound wasn't cut, only in her knickers. 

"Are ya joinin'?" He asked, his deep brown eyes detailing each part of her, as if he didn't already know her body by heart. 

"Would you mind?" She removed her last cloth and stepped toward the shower, stopping just in front of Finan. 

"Not at all." He growled, his wet hand resting on her hip as he leaned to kiss her. 

A few droplets fell from his hair to her nose, making her wrinkle it. He pulled her closer, his body wetting hers and she knew this wouldn't be a quick shower. She moaned against his mouth, his hands curving down her ass. 

"Will you let me turn on the water?" She managed to say. "I don't plan to catch a cold."

"Right." He let her go and leaned against the other wall. "And ya? How was work?" 

She turned on the water and sighed at the feel of the hot water on her skin. She threw her head back, her fingers mixing in her hair. "Oh good, I finished the file for Aethelflead's divorce." 

Finan rolled his eyes, thinking of their soon to be friend's ex-husband. "I still don't understand how she managed to marry this turd of Aethelred." 

Saegyth shrugged, not understanding as well. "We all make mistakes." She opened her eyes to Finan's dubious expression. "Mine was marrying you and I have to live with it everyday." She dramatically exhaled, her hand resting upon her chest. 

Eyes narrowed, he stepped under the water with her. "As if you mind?"

"True." She smirked as her hand grazed over his abs and chest, making them clench under her touch. "You've been a pretty good husband until now." 

She kept her eyes locked with his, a heat growing behind his pupil the lower on his abdomen her palm was. He growled when her fingers teased his cock and brought her mouth to his. His own hands were easily sliding on her wet skin, his thumb finding her nipple. His lips parted when she started to slowly stroke him and she took the occasion to let her tongue meet his. 

With his free hand he cut the water, for economies and climate change sakes, and guided her against the wall. Saegyth shivered at the coldness of the tiles in her back but quickly forgot to rather focus on the feel of Finan's lips on her jaw and then down her neck. His body heat and the sound of his heavy breath as she worked him up made her want for more. She grabbed one of his wrists and guided his hand down between her legs. 

Finan looked up to her with his usual teasing grin. "Impatient?" He asked, pressing a finger where she wanted him too.

She took a sharp breath before answering. "You can't have all the good treatment." She snapped, though she loved giving him those good treatments. 

"Ya're right." He smirked even more. "I have to return the favour." 

She bit her lower lip as she stopped the movement of her hand to let him kneel before her, taking the time to spread kisses down her stomach. He parted her legs, placing one over his shoulder to have a better access to where he wanted to kiss her now. She gasped at the feel of his tongue and how his fingers were roughly digging the flesh of her ass and thighs, her hand tangling in his wet dark hair. She moaned, her toes curling with each new wave of heat his tactful mouth was creating. And the sound must have pleased Finan as he squeezed her ass.

Suddenly, Saegyth's phone rang, catching her a frustrated exhale as Finan rose back on his feet. He grumbled something as he walked out of the shower to take the call. She rubbed her face with her hand and stepped to the glass wall to stare at Finan. He had grabbed a towel and wrapped it low around his hips after having dry his hands on it. 

"It's Osferth." He sighed, taking the phone.

"Told you he would call." Saegyth smiled and tilted her head, though the interruption of what she had longed for the whole day annoyed her. 

Finan rolled his eyes again and took the call. "Yes?" 

"Sae- oh uh, Finan?" Saegyth could barely hear through her mobile. She made a sign to him so he activated the speaker and she immediately sighed when recognized her youngest son's cries. 

"No, it's not." Finan replied, determined to annoy Osferth after he had ruined their moment. But the joke didn't make it to his mind as their friend remained silent. Finan shook his head, quite desperately. "Of course, it's me, ya idiot. What's the problem?"

"Ah. Sorry! Well there's no problem! Everything is absolutely perfectly well, I swear!" He started and what was meant to reassure them wasn't at all. 

"Don't beat around the bush, Baby Monk." Her husband replied, starting to lose patience.

"It's Ailwin, he started to cry and I didn't know why. And Edwen told me he wanted his Stitch blanket, so I searched in his bag, but I didn't find it." Osferth explained, his voice panicked as he was probably walking in circles in his kitchen. They could also hear Faolan's small voice asking him who he was calling.

"Jesus." Finan growled, his hand scratched his beard as he looked up to the ceiling. 

"Didn't you take it?" Saegyth asked him, raising her eyebrow surprisingly, the Stitch cover was  _ the  _ one thing to not forget for the two years old boy.

"I did! He had it in the car." Finan protested, leaning against the sink. A slew of insults escaped him when he realised what happened. "Fuck, he let it in the car. Alright, I comin'." 

"Oh thank you, Finan! Oh no no no, don't touch that plea-" A loud bang resounded through the phone and then things rolling on the floor. 

Saegyth and Finan shared a worried look and she stepped out of the shower. "Is everything alright, Osferth?" She asked quickly, concerned. 

"Oh yes! Hum, he just dropped the basket of fruits." He answered and now they could hear their son excusing himself. Saegyth couldn't help but smile: a storm, but at least polite. 

"I am here in a quarter." Finan concluded before hanging up the phone and putting it back near the sink. 

"Do you want me to come?" She demanded him as he went to the bedroom to take clothes. 

"Nah, stay and finish your shower. I won't be long." He put on his boxer and then trousers while searching a t-shirt in the closet. 

Saegyth pouted. "I guess I don't have other choices."

"If we are lucky it will be the first and last time he calls." He walked to the bathroom's entrance where she was standing, still wet and naked, and carefully kissed her. 

"I put all my faith in Eadith." She playfully smacked his ass, urging him to leave. "Count them, just to be sure he didn't lose one already." She joked before he left the bedroom.

Finan's laugh quickly faded as she heard him run down the stairs. The front door slammed by the time she turned the shower on again. Once she was cleaned and dried she took a pair of pyjama shorts and one of Finan's sweaters, tying up her blond hair in a messy bun. She grabbed the bowl of cherry tomatoes she had prepared and went down to the living room. 

When she heard Finan coming, half an hour had passed and she was sitting comfortably legs crossed on the couch, checking her last emails. She looked up from her laptop, biting in another tomato, while Finan entered the room. 

"So?" 

"Problem solved, Eadith arrived when I was there. I think she got scared at how messy their house already was." He giggled, dropping on the place next to her. 

"I hope they won't have triplets to start." She replied in the same tone. She shifted to lean against his chest, one of his hands resting on the side of her thigh. "Christ, your hand is cold." She swapped his hand away before the idea to annoy her with his cold palm came to his mind. 

Instead, he rested it on the back of the couch and tenderly kissed the spot behind her ear while she concentrated again on her email. Finan closed his eyes and hummed loudly. 

"Not gonna lie, the silence is quite enjoyable." 

"And yet, the weekend won't even be over that you'll complain about missing them." She stared at him from above her shoulder and Finan tilted his head, giving her a point. 

"I count on ya to distract me then." He smirked. 

She nodded with a mischievous smile. "You could start with making dinner." She proposed, perfectly knowing it wasn't the kind of distraction he had in mind. He pouted and she cupped his jaw, thumb and other fingers pressing on his cheeks to annoy him. "Come on, honey, I'm craving." She pleaded to him and he finally sighed in surrender. "Thank you, darling." She briefly brushed her lips against his, but all Finan did was grumbling. 

She pushed away from him and let him go to the kitchen. She heard him open the fridge and uncap a beer, and she thought she could go with one as well. Though, she waited to hear Finan really starting to cook to get up. 

"Pastas?" He shouted from the other room while she put the laptop on the small table. 

"Getting rid of the kids doesn't mean we have to take back our university's habits." She replied on her way to join him in the kitchen. 

"Aye, but I'm lazy." He turned on the induction hob and put a pot of water on it. He frowned when Saegyth started to drink in his beer. "Hey! That's my beer." He protested, taking back the glass bottle.

She raised an eyebrow. "And you can't share it with your wife?" 

"No, it's sacred." He grinned before bringing the bottleneck to his mouth, leaning back against the counter. 

She shook her head, resolving herself to take her own beer, which he'd probably end up to steal when he'd have finished his if she didn't keep an eye on it. She opened it and sat on the counter opposed to where Finan was. But he moved quickly to stand between her knees.

"Do you want something?" She asked him, pretending disinterest, though the heat behind his eyes clearing wasn't. 

His palm, still fresh, ran over her thigh, spreading goosebumps. "Can I have a kiss?" He softly demanded her, and it was hard to say something else than 'yes'.

"One." She put down her bottle and let his lips meet hers. 

If he had only one kiss, Finan would make sure it was a catch breathing one. Saegyth slid her hands under his t-shirt, needing to feel the warmth of his body while his own were teasing the skin under her short. She hummed into their kiss, the sound slightly swallowed by her husband's mouth, and she brought him closer, her ankles crossing behind him. 

When they broke the kiss, she almost immediately brought his mouth back to hers. "I thought it was only one." Finan teased her.

"I changed my mind." She smirked.

"I'm glad to hear it." 

Though, the moment didn't last much longer, the sound of water boiling reaching Saegyth's ears. She briefly looked above his shoulder and gasped when she saw the boiling water overflow from the pot. "Fuck the water!"

Insults escaped Finan's mouth as he tried to turn off the induction hob, without burning himself. Saegyth jumped from the counter and removed the pot before there was more water out than in. When Finan finally succeeded, he soaked up the area and then she put back the pot on the heat, now lower. Finan added the pastas in the water and she kissed his cheek. 

"Don't cook them too much, I am setting the table." She told him, her hands on his arm. 

"I'm the King of pastas,  _ mo grá _ ." He affirmed, pressing a hand upon his chest.

She dubiously smiled at him but didn't remind him of the hundred times his pastas were closer to a mash than actual pastas. Though she must admit it, it was getting better, a relief as he was reaching his mid-thirties this year.

A quarter later, they were eating the famous pastas, with a less than decent amount of grated cheese, in front of Friends. This moment made her smile, feeling definitely back into their youth in university, when they used to hang out at his flat between classes. 

Saegyth picked up her phone when she received a notification. She unlocked her phone and smiled fondly at the picture Eadith sent her : their three children asleep with Osferth on the couch. She showed the picture to Finan and he chuckled. 

"Only an afternoon and they finished him off." He put his now empty plate on the small table. "I hope he'll pass the weekend." 

Once they were finished, used stuffed in the dishwasher and area cleaned, they headed back to their bedroom. Saegyth rested the laptop on the nightstand on her side of the bed, and she searched Paranormal Activity. Finan had been begging her to watch the movie for weeks after they watched the last one, which she found terrible. He had already seen it when he was younger, but now he wanted to rewatch it with her, claiming the first one wasn't that bad. 

And so, they ended up cuddled in bed, Saegyth's back against Finan's chest, her head resting on his arm while the other was wrapped around her waist, watching the movie. She must admit it, this one was scarier than the last and a few times she flinched at a jump scare. And Finan didn't really help, each time he knew one was about to come, he was ready to squeeze her side. 

"For fuck sake! Finan!" She elbowed him after his hand abruptly grabbed her waist and he laughed as he rolled on his back. 

She switched sides, glaring at him through the almost darkness of their bedroom. "Tell me if you wanted to watch it only to annoy me." She narrowed her eyes, knowing it would likely have been his plan since the beginning. 

"Not at all." He said innocently, waving his hands. "Though once ya were there…" He grabbed her hips, pushing her on her back. "At my mercy." She tried to look upset but it was hard as he leaned to kiss her neck, his body grazing on hers, lighting a heat in her, even if they were still both dressed. "It was too temptin'." 

She hummed as he nibbled her earlobe, teasingly. He then slowly kissed a way on her jaw until he reached her mouth. She buried a hand in his unruled dark hair. The thought of the shower earlier came back to her mind and how they both had remained unsatisfied and frustrated after having to stop. It was midnight and she guessed this time nothing would interrupt them. 

"Finan." She sighed as he was kissing her neck again, his palm finding a way under his sweater she was wearing. "Don't tease too much." She almost begged him and he lifted himself to look at her in the eyes. "I really need to feel you."

"Me too, darlin'." He breathed, his hand cupping the side of her face, thumb running over her lips before he went down to kiss them. 

When they started to miss air, they parted and Finan knelt between her legs. He leaned to the side to pause the movie and then close the laptop. Saegyth sat up and grabbed the end of his t-shirt, pulling it up to reveal his stomach, muscles finely drawn. His hands covered hers and finished what she initiated and tossed his cloth on the floor. By the time he did it, she had started to kiss his abs, her mouth hot on his skin, and he closed his eyes in a low sigh. He undid her bun, her golden hair cascading on her shoulders and back. He then took her face between his hands and leaned to catch her mouth with his. 

Saegyth fingers played with the band of his boxer but before she had the time to pull it down, Finan had started to remove her top, obliging her to raise her arms. She felt his eyes ravishing her silhouette, only the outside light soothing the darkness of their bedroom. She let her hand travel over his chest and up to his shoulder, and gently pulled him down on the bed again. She quickly got rid of her short, Finan doing the same with his last cloth, before she laid down on her side in front of him.

Saegyth felt her heart beating hard and fast in her chest, and she wondered how he could still engender this after years making love with him. Sometimes she even doubted this was real, maybe it was just a dream. Though the hand that caressed the curves of her hip and waist was very really. 

"I thought you said no teasin'."

"I'm not teasing." She frowned confusedly. 

He moved forward to tenderly kiss her, and she felt as if the bare shoulder that touched hers was already too much. "Ya can't just stare at me like that, and do nothin'." He growled against her mouth. 

"It wasn't my intention." She whispered, trying to rub her legs together, but Finan's hand came to caress the soft skin of her inner thigh. "There's a handsome man laying next to me, it's hard to not just stare." 

A low chuckle escaped him, his hand wandering over her most sensitive area, but not pressing it enough to relieve her of the building tension. "Say that again." 

"Only if you finish what you started earlier."

"What if I don't." He grinned mischievously. "Oh fuck." He groaned at the unexpected swift slide of her fingers on his length. 

She proudly smirked. "I know you will." 

She giggled as he wrapped his strong arms around her waist, moving on his back so she was above him, straddling him. She kindly brushed the front of his hair before she started to kiss his forehead, nose, cheeks and finally lips.

"My handsome husband." She whispered in his ear, a gasp quickly following, his finger teasing her entrance before coming in. 

He turned her face to his, staring at her intently as pleasure made the blood rise to her cheeks. His free hand praised one of her breasts, his thumb rubbing her nipple. 

"Finan." She sighed, grabbing his arm as a hot wave made her body slightly tense. "Let me feel you. All of you."

The corner of his mouth twitched and he removed his hand. "As ya wish." 

Finan kissed her again before guiding himself in her, her hips slowly sliding down on him, another proud smile playing on her lips as she watched his jaw twitch and felt his grip tightened on her hips. With a hand pressed against his chest, she started to rise and fall in a more than practiced rhythm. She held his gaze, the lust burning in his eyes driving her mad. She leaned to messily cover his mouth with hers, but it didn't last long, both of them too preoccupied by the rightness of their movements and the bliss it was occurring. 

Finan's hand cupped her ass, fingers digging the soft flesh, while the other was running up her back to finally clasp on her shoulder. Saegyth's moan became louder, her breath mixing with her husband's heavy one. For an instant she lost eye contact with Finan, reaching her high, her face buried in his neck. He growled in her ear, his own release threatening to come. Her hand reached back for the one that had slid down her thigh, bringing it up to their heads' level, interlacing their fingers. With a last thrust, she felt him squeeze her hand as he came. She brushed her lips against his as he groaned of relief, his eyes shut.

When he opened them again, as out of breath than her, she tenderly kissed him, feeling the lazy smile he was making.

"My beautiful wife." He whispered, bringing their entangled hands to his mouth to kiss the back of hers. "I love ya." Her heart fluttered at his words and at how he was looking at her with pure adoration.

"I love you too." She brushed his bearded cheek, admiring how his smile created thin crinkles in the corner of his eyes.

She rolled back next to him with a satisfied sigh. Finan chuckled, his fingers playing with strands of her hair. 

"Why are you laughing?" She raised an eyebrow and moved on her side. 

"Nothin', I was just thinkin' that we could let the kids to Eadith and Baby Monk more often." He grinned. 

"I'll let you in charge of convincing them then." She declared, patting his chest as she sat up. "I doubt they'll ask for them until months after this weekend."

She crawled out of the bed, her legs still a little weak after making love. "Where are ya goin'?" He asked her, his arm folded behind his head. 

"Taking a quick shower, I'm all sweaty." She said, gathering the clothes on the floor. 

"Aye that's the problem with the physical activities." He joked, her eyes rolling in answer as she headed into their bathroom. 

"You can join or finish your movie, it's as you want darling." She shouted once she turned on the water, shivering at the freshness. 

She didn't have to wait long to feel arms wrapping around her waist and lips, accompanied by the scratch of a beard, kissing a path from her shoulder to neck. She turned in his arms taking his chin between her fingers. 

"I said a quick shower." Finan pouted and she gave him a small kiss. 

Though, Finan didn't give up on teasing her, tickling her sides or harassing her face, neck and shoulders with his lips the whole time. Eventually they made their way back to their undone bed. Saegyth sank into her husband's embrace, closing her eyes, and with a small smile, she thought about the lazy morning waiting for them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They had a nice week end I guess ehehe  
> I hope you enjoyed, because I did ahah. I don't know yet what will be the next one, but I really want to write some dad Finan ngl....  
> Thank you for reading <3


	2. You're my river running high, run deep run wild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Saegyth's first year in university and she didn't count in the equation to fall for an handsome Irishman.

"I hope you're coming tonight." 

Saegyth paused, stopping to put her notebook in her bag. She frowned at her friend. "Coming where?" She asked confusedly. 

Gisela rolled her eyes as she grabbed her bag. "To the mentor meeting party, Saegyth." 

"Oh. Well…" She finished packing her stuff, searching how to answer her. "I'm not sure I'm in the mood to go out." 

"Of course you are!" Gisela snapped, a little upset. "Saegyth you've spent the summer away from every party, now is about time for you to go out." 

Saegyth sighed, walking past Gisela and climbing the stairs of the amphitheatre. Her friend was following her close, staring at her intently, in a way she hated : Gisela was right, Saegyth knew it and Gisela knew she knew it. And she hated that look. 

"Alright, I'll come." She exhaled and Gisela made a little enthusiastic jump. She couldn't help but shook her head in amusement. "But only because of the mentors. Some advice could be welcomed, I am already lost with this class." 

"Oh don't worry!" Gisela mischievously smiled. "I'm pretty sure your handsome mentor will be of good help." She winked at her as they headed to another class. 

Gisela had spent the rest of the day making sure Saegyth would come tonight and when she estimated that she was taking too much time to arrive, she harassed her with texts. Saegyth rolled her eyes at the fifth message she sent her since she had stepped in the subway before taking a quick look at herself in the window's reflection. It was strange to see makeup on her face after such a long time. 

She pushed the thoughts away, wanting to prevent the feelings to overtake, when she heard the voice announcing her station. She found Gisela waiting in front of the bar's door, a huge smile blessing her face. 

"I am so happy you are here!" 

"Like I had the choice." Saegyth pointed out but Gisela ignored her and kindly pushed her inside. 

The moment she made a step in, she felt overwhelmed by the music and the voices in the room. A young man immediately welcomed them, asking for their student cards and then handed them a box with small papers. 

"Pick one, it's the mentors' names, then you can search yours. They wear a badge with their name." He explained, pointing at his own. 

Saegyth took one and unfolded it. Quickly she felt her friend's eyes looking at the name above her shoulder. 

"Finan. Sounds pretty Irish." She noticed and then leaned to her ear to whisper. "I bet he has a very sexy accent." 

"Do I need to remind you that you have a boyfriend ?" She tilted her head, and Gisela chuckled. 

"Go find your Irishman, and I'll go in search of a certain Hild." The brown woman waved her hand and disappeared in the crowd letting her on her own. 

Saegyth took a brief look around, her fingers playing with the edge of her leather jacket, there were several small groups of people but she noticed one composed only of mentors. She walked in their direction and once she was close enough, she started to read their badges. Eventually her eyes fell on one written 'Finan' on. 

She looked up to see his face, he was half a head taller than her and at how large and strong his shoulders seemed to be under his shirt, she guessed he was athletic. He had dark hair that he must have struggled to keep ruled and a thin beard was covering his jaw. He was talking to another man and when he stopped speaking to take a sip of his beer, she took the occasion to make herself known.

"Excuse me, you're Finan, right?" 

He slowly turned his head to her and she noticed how his eyes seemed to spark. They were brown, a deep and dark brown, but somehow they seemed to shine. 

"That's me. I'm your mentor I guess?" He briefly looked at her from feet to head while she was cursing Gisela for being right again : he had an Irish accent, and it was kinda hot.

She handed him the small paper that he took, his fingers briefly brushing hers. He grinned, reading the name and stared at her again, and she felt suddenly weak in front of this bright smile of his. 

"Indeed, that's me. And so, ya're?"

"Saegyth." She smiled. 

"It's nice to meet ya." 

For a moment, an awkward silence settled between them, during which Finan rubbed his hand on his trousers. Eventually, he clapped it on his thigh before designating the counter behind him.

"Let me offer ya a drink?" He proposed.

Saegyth opened her mouth, but a brief instant passed before she was able to answer. "Oh no, I'll pay." 

He shook his head. "I'd insist. I offered a drink last year to the guy I mentored. I wouldn't want to create any inequality." He winked before mentioning to the counter. 

She resolved herself to follow him and gladly accepted the beer he paid for her. 

"So, why are ya in a law school?" He curiously asked, sitting on one of the high chairs. 

She sat next to him, thanking the waiter who put the beer bottle in front of her. "Well, I don't know exactly what I am going to do, but I'll say that my strong sense of justice led me here." She shrugged and it seemed to amuse him. "Really original, isn't it?" 

"Pretty common, indeed. But it was probably the same for me." He explained and she noticed light tension in his smile.

"But, you must have a better idea of what you want to do now." 

"Aye, I'd like to specialize in environmental law." He leaned back in the chair. "It's kinda far from my original idea, but I feel like I'll be more useful." 

Saegyth narrowed her eyes, taken by a sudden curiosity concerning the reasons of his studies choices, but she didn't ask any question, fearing it could be too private. And after all, she knew him for only a few minutes. 

Instead she led their conversation into a more academic one, asking him about the conduct of the first year. He was pretty comfortable while speaking, always smiling and she wondered if his cheeks would ache at the end of the night. But she couldn't deny enjoying how his cheerfulness was contagious. 

From the corner of her eyes, she caught Gisela walking toward them. "Gisela!" Her friend stopped next to her and awkwardly fixed Finan. "Finan, my best friend Gisela." 

Finan tilted his head. "Aye, I think I know. Ya're Uhtred's girlfriend." 

"And you're playing in the same rugby club than him, right?" Finan nodded and she chuckled turning to Saegyth. "The world is really small." She said, her eyebrows lightly rising.

"It seems." Saegyth climbed down the chair, her hands pulling the skirt of her dress to keep it in place. "Well, I'm not going to hog you much longer, Finan. Thank you for everything." 

"That's normal." He waved his hand before resting it on his phone. "Maybe I can give ya my number, if ya have other questions." 

Saegyth opened her mouth to reply that it wasn't necessary, that his email address was already on the paper, but Gisela spoke first. "Oh you should, I took Hild's. Emails are easily lost in a thousand others." She pretended to be exasperated, but Saegyth could see through her acting. 

She looked from her best friend to Finan, he was still staring at her, waiting for her answer. "Alright, why not?"

She took her phone and saved his number after sending him a 'Hi!'. He gave her a small smile when his phone rang. "Enjoy the night, then. And if ya've any questions, don't hesitate." 

"I won't." 

…

"Yes, I promise I'll come next weekend, Mom." 

Saegyth walked her way in the streets of Winchester to the bookshop. She had left the flat she was sharing with Gisela a few minutes ago and almost as soon as she stepped outside, her phone had rung, her mother's number appearing. 

It had been two weeks now since the first day of class and Saegyth hadn't taken the time to go back home, in Dorchester, to see her parents who were growing restless. This time, she guessed she didn't have other choices than be true to her words and plan to go back next week. 

"Mom, I have to let you, I'm going to the bookshop. I'll text you later." She said once she was at the shop's door. 

When she came in, it was calm and there was the usual smell of new books floating in the building. She walked between the shelves searching for some law books her teachers advised her. She was reading attentively each of the books' titles and startled when she heard someone suddenly talking to her. She turned quite abruptly and widened her eyes as she recognized the young man. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare ya." Finan apologetically smiled. 

She shook her head and chuckled lightly. "No that's alright, I just wasn't expecting you." She looked at his outfit briefly and noticed he was wearing the same jacket as other staff members and a pin with his name again. "Are you working here?" She immediately cursed herself for such a stupid question. 

"Aye, I do. I've to pay my charges." He shrugged and she nodded with a thin smile. "So… I was askin' if ya needed any help?" 

She hesitated a moment, looking back to the shelves. It was the first time she was seeing him since the party, and in fact, that she was speaking to him as well. She hadn't texted him and neither did he, and she kinda expected them to forget each other quickly. She eventually grabbed her phone and showed him the reference of a book. 

"I'm searching for this book, do you think you have it?" She kindly asked him. 

"Maybe in the storeroom." He frowned. "Don't move, I'll be back in a minute." 

She watched him disappear in a small alley and waited patiently. While he was away, she felt the same curiosity about him tickle her thoughts. He came back not long after with the book as promised. She thanked him when he handed it to her. She expected them to go back to their respective occupations, but strangely they both remained there in silence. 

"So, how's class goin' for ya?" He finally asked. 

She crossed her arms, the book pressed against her chest. "It's fine, really interesting. Though I'm a little bit lost sometimes. There's a lot of new notions." 

He chuckled and she found it as contagious as the last time, a smile growing unintentionally on her face. "The first month I thought my head would explode. But you'll see, everythin' slowly connects and makes sense." 

"I trust you, but I'd like it to come sooner." She admitted. "I'm totally lost with history." 

"Maybe I could help ya, I don't work on sundays." He proposed, his fingers drumming on a shelf. 

Once again Saegyth hesitated, though something in her was screaming for her to accept. "Why not? But the university's library is closed on sundays." 

He nodded his head, giving her a point. "Ya can come to my flat if ya want." 

"Alright." She quickly replied, maybe too quickly. She pinched her lips and hugged the book more against her, suddenly wondering if it was a good idea. "Tomorrow, then?" 

"Tomorrow." He repeated with a smile. "I'll text ya my address." 

Later, when she went back into her small room in the university campus and called Gisela to tell her what happened, she thought she was going to have a heart attack.

"I talked to Uhtred about him, he told me he was single." Her friend said, and she could imagine her mischievous smirk even if she was trying to sound innocent. 

"And what do you want me to do with that information?" She asked, dropping her new book on the desk of her university room. 

"Oh, nothing, I'm just saying." Saegyth rolled her eyes. "Though he seems to be a nice guy. Have you heard that he was part of the group organizing the parties of the university."

"Then that explains why he is single. His bed must be occupied by too many different girls for an actual girlfriend to stay." She replied and Gisela sighed through the phone.

"Why do you have to make such easy conclusions?" She sounded exasperated, what Saegyth could understand. 

Gisela had tried the whole summer to bring her out, to see other people and mostly forget one person. 

"Listen, what I want you to understand is that you can't just keep yourself from meeting someone nice because of your dumbass ex-boyfriend." She said with her mom's voice, and of course she was always right when using it.

"I'm not-" 

"Yes, you are." Gisela cut her. "He ruined your summer, he won't ruin your first year in university." 

Saegyth dropped on the chair, resting her phone on a pile of books and activating the speaker. "It doesn't mean it has to be Finan. I barely know him, Gisela." 

"No, but I have a good feeling about him." She said, confident, and it made Saegyth chuckle.

"If you do, then."

…

The next afternoon, Saegyth was in front of Finan's building's door. It was a rather old one and the red door was, well, not that red anymore. His apartment was in the old Winchester, but not far from the university, in contrast to the student residence she was living in that was in a much more recent district. 

She looked at the interphone, searching Finan's name but she couldn't find it. So she resolved herself to send him a message. After a few minutes, she heard the sound of the door unlocking and she finally got face to face with a delighted Finan. 

"Hi! Sorry for makin' you wait." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Saegyth stepped in the hall, briefly taking a look to the staircase. "That's alright, it wasn't raining." 

Finan laughed kindly before telling her to follow him. They stopped at the fourth floor, Saegyth making a side note in her mind that it was time to go back into sport. He opened his door and let her in. Surprisingly, the interior of his flat looked much more recent than the building. It wasn't big, the door opening right next to the kitchen that seemed to have recently been renovated. Further there was a small living room and two doors that she supposed were leading to his bedroom and bathroom. 

"Ya can put your things on the couch." She nodded and dropped her bag and coat. "Do ya want to drink somethin'?" He asked when she was resting her notebook on the kitchen's table, already grabbing a glass on a shelf. 

"Water will be good. Thank you."

An hour later, the table was covered with books and papers, Saegyth taking notes as Finan explained her the role of the preator at Rome. Narrated by Finan, the lesson sounded much more interesting, he was undeniably a very good storyteller. And he seemed to enjoy it, adding even some extra details that he learned by himself. 

"You'd make a good teacher." She told him after he gave her some tips for her essay. 

"I doubt havin' enough patience for that." He chuckled lightly. 

"You had, with me." She replied, putting her notes back in her folder. 

Finan shook his head. "That's only because ya're a good student."

She turned her head to him and couldn't help but blush at how intense and hypnotizing his eyes were. He was smiling kindly and she wondered when was the last time she found a man's smile beautiful. Finan's one was handsome, but also childish, which she found endearing. 

She blinked and looked away when she realised it had been too long since she started to stare at him, chewing her bottom lips. "Thank you." She tried to hide her embarrassment, but Finan seemed happy with it, still grinning. 

Saegyth packed up her things back in her bag once they were done and Finan accompanied her down stairs. 

"Thank you again for your help. It's really nice." 

Finan waved his hands as if it was nothing. "It's alright, t'was a pleasure to help ya." He opened the door and she made a step outside. "We can do it next Sunday too, if ya want."

"Oh, I promised my mother to come back for the weekend." She explained, but she couldn't help but add when she noticed the ounce of disappointment on his face: "But maybe Friday, I don't have any classes in the morning."

"Alright then."

…

"How did you have such a good grade?" Osferth asked, leaning on Saegyth's table and taking a look at the paper. 

"She has a private teacher." Gisela grinned next to her and their new friend looked at them confusedly, Saegyth elbowing her best friend.

Osferth had been sitting on the table in front of them in most of the classes and they eventually started to sympathize. He was honestly the sweetest man she ever met, always kind and smiling. 

"She's saying stupidities." Saegyth rolled her eyes. 

"Am I?" The reflection made her win another glare and she chuckled. 

But she wasn't totally wrong, in the past two months Finan had been helping her a lot with her lessons, to the point that she was spending every sundays afternoon at his flat, or fridays morning when she was going back to Dorchester for a weekend to see her family. And this, even when she had no problem understanding the class anymore. So they would just study together, and simply enjoy each other's company.

And Saegyth was undoubtedly appreciating Finan's company, he had always the good word to make her smile. But she liked even more to make him laugh, the way his dark eyes were narrowing, creating small crinkles in the corner of them, terribly endearing to her and making her heart flutter. Sometimes they would cross each other at University, have a small talk and as soon as he was gone, Gisela would tease her by saying she was blushing again. Which, in fact, was probably true.

"The boys have a match Saturday." Gisela told her one day during the break the teacher just allowed. "I'm going to watch Uhtred. But you should come... to see him play." She winked, not even bothering to specify who she was talking about anymore.

"I know nothing of rugby, Gisela." Saegyth replied, correcting something in her notes. 

Her friend rolled her eyes. "Do you think I know better? But Uhtred likes when I come, and honestly it's sight to be seen." She whispered in her ear, smirking, and Saegyth glared at her. 

"Please, keep your dirty thoughts for yourself." She chuckled, despite pretending to be shocked.

"Alright, alright! Though you owe him that. He's been helping you for two months now, I'm sure he'll be happy to see you there."

And that's how she found herself, a Saturday afternoon in the stands of Winchester's rugby field with Gisela. The boys were playing against Lunden's team, which seemed to be a good one as the score was tied the whole match. Saegyth easily recognized Finan, he was in front, always alert at where the ball was, ready to jump and catch it. She had always noticed how strong and large his shoulders were and didn't expect him to be so fast as he ran across the field. His teammates cheered him when he fell in the grass between the two pillars forming the goal with the ball. 

When the arbitrator whistled the end of the match, Winchester was 3 points ahead. She stood up with the other spectators, applauding them with a pride smile on her face. Gisela was even more excited, her hand curved around her mouth as she screamed that Winchester's team was the best.

"Come, let's congratulate them." She grinned, taking Saegyth's hand before she could protest.

They climbed down the stairs of the stands and approached the group created around the coach. Gisela cheered again when Uhtred started to walk towards them. She ran to hug him, but stopped when she noticed how sweaty her boyfriend was. Saegyth couldn't help but laugh as Uhtred sighed desperately. She liked her best friend's man, he was two years older than them and already working to be part of the police. 

"Ya here, that's a surprise." 

Saegyth turned on her heels, startled by Finan's voice. He was standing right in front of her, his cheeks red, his hair messier than ever and his shirt sticking to his body, revealing the shape of his pecs and abs. She couldn't help but remember Gisela's words : a sight to be seen. And once again, she was right. 

"A good one, I hope."

His face broke in a smile as he ran a hand in his hair. "Aye, it is."

Her teeth sunk in the flesh of her lower lip, his eyes were detailing her silently, and she thought she would melt. "Congratulations!" She said, trying to ease the tension between them. "I don't know anything about rugby but I understood you played well." 

"Well, thank ya." He cheerfully laughed. He looked aside a brief moment when someone called his name, his teammates taking the direction of the locker room. He shouted that he was coming before turning to Saegyth. "We're goin' to celebrate at the bar tonight, d'ya wanna join?" 

She hesitated, looking around as if the answer would be written somewhere, but finally nodded. "Why not?"

…

The music in the bar was loud when Saegyth walked in with Uhtred and Gisela, the young man having proposed to drive them here. Almost immediately, Uhtred, that she learned in the car was in fact the captain of the team, was greeted by his friends. Their complicity really was heartwarming to see and she and Gisela laughed lightly. 

They both headed to the bar, Gisela ordering a virgin mojito, she promised she'd drive them back home, and Saegyth a not virgin one. She frowned when she felt her friend's eyes intently studying her with a smirk.

"What?" She asked before catching the straw of her cocktail between her lips. 

"Oh nothing, I just noticed you look particularly pretty tonight." Gisela replied, looking away. 

"Am I not always?" She raised an eyebrow, a grin pulling her lips. 

Gisela laughed. "Of course you always are." She kissed her cheek before sipping her drink. "But it's been a long time since the last time I saw you liked that. And let me tell you, I'm really happy about it." 

Saegyth smiled fondly at her best friend. She was right, she hadn't spent so much time preparing herself for a party in months. Fortunately, Gisela had always insisted on her having a party dress at her room in the campus, otherwise she'd have to content herself with a shirt and trousers. Saegyth loved this dress, last time she had worn it was at her birthday party, last year, for her 18th birthday. It seemed to be such a long time ago now. It was black with a soft fabric, the skirt falling just above her knees. 

"Thank you, Gisela." She squeezed her hand before looking above her shoulder, hearing the noisy team behind them. 

There was a line of shots on a table and a player, tall but thinner than most of the boys, was drinking them one by one. Saegyth quickly understood that he was called Sihtric as the others were shouting his name. She amusingly shook her head and as she did, her eyes caught Finan. She blushed, realizing he was already looking at her. He raised his beer in greeting, his usual grin lighting his face. He was wearing the same shirt that during the tutors' party but a different pants and she chewed her inner jaw, wondering how the hell she was remembering that. 

"I'm going to join Uhtred. You should go and join him." Gisela said in her ear before walking away. 

Saegyth sighed and started to walk towards the Irishman, her heart beating faster at each step. 

"Hi!" She smiled, raising her cocktail as he did with his beer before.

"Heya!" He clinked the tip of his bottle with the edge of her glass. "I'm glad ya came." 

"You doubted I would come?" She asked before bringing her drink to her lips.

His eyes followed her movement before turning to his friends. "Well, a loud rugby team isn't always the best company." 

Saegyth chuckled, looking as another guy was drinking his own shots, the others encouraging him. "Loud is the word indeed." She admitted as her clear eyes met his own again. "How long have you been playing with them?"

He frowned, thinking. "Two years? I joined the team when I arrived in Winchester, but I've been playin' since I'm a wee boy." He explained to her before drinking a gulp of his beer. 

"So it's not been a long time since you're here." He shook his head. "You must miss Ireland, no?" She asked but regretted immediately when his smile dropped for a minute. 

His jaw twitched nervously and he leaned more against the wall behind him. "Not really…" He grimaced. "T'is a little complicated." 

Now that they had broached the subject, Saegyth realized that when she had occasionally talked to him about her family, but he had never mentioned his own. "It's alright, if you're happy here, it's the most important." She said to ease him, not wanting to make the situation more uncomfortable for him.

And she was glad that he gave her a gentle smile, one that warmed her whole body. She hadn't felt that way in months, and even the last time she did, it wasn't as strong as with him. She stopped to breath for a moment when he brought his hand to her face, his fingers delicately bringing a strand of her hair that had fallen in front of her eyes, back behind her ear. His fingertips brushed her cheek and she couldn't guess if it was the blood suddenly rising or his touch that burnt her. 

"I should present ya to the others." He said, his hand falling back to his side. 

She was tempted to refuse, to say that she'd rather stay just with him, but it sounded immediately awkward in her mind. And being awkward was the last thing she wanted. So she nodded and followed him. He presented her to a few of his friends, including Sihtric, that she had noticed earlier, that Finan described as one of his closest friends with Uhtred. He was sympathetic, though the alcohol was making him speak loudly. One of the boys proposed to her a shot of rum, that she accepted, grimacing when the alcohol slightly burnt her throat. She put down the small glass and when she looked around, Finan wasn't by her side anymore, and she couldn't deny the disappointment she felt.

She kept talking with some of the players, each talking of their own studies or works until someone grabbed her hand. "Come dance with me!" Gisela prompted her, dragging her to the dance floor. 

"Slowly Gisela, I'm drunk." She laughed as she followed her, careful to not stumble. 

Once they were in the middle of the crowd, it was as if Saegyth's mind couldn't think of anything else but the music playing around them. She found herself dancing with her best friend on I Love It by Icona Pop, shouting the lyrics and jumping in rhythm. They probably looked ridiculous, but she couldn't care less. She was smiling so much, her cheeks were hurting while her head was spinning. Though she didn't stop, it had been so long since the last time she had so much fun. 

A few songs passed until Uhtred stole her Gisela to dance. She was out of breath and in need of a little break. She succeeded to find a way out of the dancefloor and she dropped on the nearest bench seat. 

"Tired?" Finan asked her with an amused smile, sitting next to her.

She shook her head. "I just need a break. Christ I'm thirsty." She sighed and he handed her his beer, half filled. "Do you drink only beers?" She asked him, gladly welcoming the drink.

He laughed, and maybe it was the alcohol but she was now sure it was the most beautiful sound she had heard in her entire life.

"I'm Irish." He grinned and she chuckled with him.

She drank a few gulps and gave him back the bottle. "I thought you had disappeared." 

Finan leaned a little toward her, his brown pupils mesmerising her. "Why d'ya care? Did ya miss me?" He raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth lifting, and she noticed his accent was thicker now that he was probably drunk too.

She leaned forward as well, holding his gaze and grinned. "Maybe." 

She knew the alcohol was probably the first to blame for the mess happening in her mind, but Finan was undoubtedly close. His knee was touching hers and it almost felt too much. She couldn't just stay here and simply stare at him, though she didn't want to leave him. She was about to speak but he was faster. 

"D'ya wanna dance?" He asked and she immediately nodded.

He stood up and gave her his hand, she looked alternately at his face and his palm a few times before grabbing it. When earlier, she had wished Gisela to let go of her hand the quickest possible so she could dance, now she wanted Finan to keep holding it, even when they were finally in the middle of the dancers. When he released her, I Follow Rivers was now playing in the bar. Saegyth loved that song, it made her want to dance but rhythm was soft enough to make her movements slow. She smiled at Finan who definitely wasn't the greatest dancer but seemed to enjoy the moment. He grabbed her hand and made her twirl, her laugh barely audible with the music.

After a few twirls, her head was spinning again, and she had to hold his shoulders to not stumble, his hands on her waist to keep her straight. The song was suddenly calm and they could now hear each other's chuckles. Finan leaned down to her ear, his hot breath caressing her skin. 

"Ya're beautiful." He said, his voice or the words, or maybe both making her shiver. 

He moved away but his face was still close to hers. Now the singer's voice was only accompanied by the piano, it was her favourite part, and her lips were instinctively forming the lyrics, but her whole attention was on Finan. She couldn't keep her eyes away from him, his eyelids half closed and his nose touching hers. It was like the time had stopped and all she could feel was his breath on her mouth and how she was craving for their lips that seemed to be attracted by an invisible force to finally collide. She closed her eyes when his hand moved to the side of her face, his thumb brushing her skin. His forehead touched hers and her heart was racing as fast the rhythm of the music that had started to accelerate. 

Then suddenly everything vanished. When she opened her eyes Finan wasn't looking at her anymore, but at his friend Sihtric, his arms around the Irishman's shoulders and his face as pale as a ghost. 

"Finan, I think I'm going to throw up." Sihtric stammered. 

"Fuck off." He grumbled and started to drag his friend to the toilets, letting Saegyth on her own in the middle of the crowd.

It took her a moment to realize what just happened, her breath slow and her gaze lost. She was feeling so empty, the suddenness blowing her clear. She went back to reality when she felt arms wrapping around her neck from behind her back. She blinked several times until she turned her head and recognized Gisela. 

"Are you alright?" She frowned.

"Yes." She breathed and her friend nodded.

"It's time to go."

…

Saegyth shivered at the cold water as she turned on the shower. Her head was hurting because of her hangover, but it could have been worse. She rubbed her face vigorously before untangling her hair with her fingers. As she washed herself, memories of the party came back to her mind until the moment she was dancing with Finan and she felt her cheeks grow hot. They were supposed to see each other, as every Sunday, today and she had no idea how she should react once she'd be with him. Of course they had been both drunk, but she had truly wanted him to kiss her. And now she doubted she could ever face him without feeling utterly uncomfortable. 

She hesitated to text Gisela about what happened, and when she finally did, she first received a mess of random capital letters. Eventually, she told her to try to act as usual, which Saegyth already knew almost impossible, and that another occasion would come soon enough. The blonde was doubtful, what if he only wanted to have fun? That this kiss that never happened meant nothing to him.

She reluctantly went to his flat at the usual hour and sent him a message when she was in front of the building. He quickly opened her and to her surprise, he seemed as uncomfortable as her. She couldn't tell if it was reassuring her or not. Once they were in his flat, she started to remove her stuff from her bag. 

"So, did ya like the party yesterday?" He asked sitting in front of her.

She briefly looked up to him and she felt like he was trying to read her mind. "I did." She replied, avoiding his eyes.

"I'm sorry for Sihtric, this idiot can't hold his liquor." He said, holding back a laugh.

She bit her lips, wondering if he was sorry for the interruption Sihtric occured or just for his presence in general. "It's alright." She smiled, still looking away.

"Good." 

They studied silently that day, for a moment she almost forgot his presence, until she raised her gaze and crossed his. His pen was twirling between his fingers in a practiced move and he seemed to take a deep breath. 

"What?" She carefully asked when his lips parted slightly to speak, but he hesitated.

He stopped to play with his pen and looked down to his notebook. "It's just… Yesterday when we were dancin'…" 

"Yes?" She cut him, her breath short. 

He raised his gaze and he stared at her for a moment before finally speaking again. "Well, I meant it when I said ya were beautiful. And I also intended to kiss ya, before this idiot arrived." He grumbled the last words. 

Saegyth was looking at him with wide eyes. Her teeth brushed her lower lips before she pretended to concentrate again on her work, when she actually just tried to hide her smile. "Thank you." 

He kept watching, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Aye, ya're welcome." He repeated, visibly destabilised. 

They worked silently again until this time it was the sound of rain that interrupted them. Through the window, Saegyth could see the dark sky and heavy drops crashing violently against the pane. She sighed, already imagining how wet to the bones she'd be when finally to her room. 

"Ya can stay here if ya want." Finan proposed to her. 

She shook her head. "I don't want to bother you." 

"I wouldn't propose if ya were." He said, tilting his head and kindly smiling.

And so she accepted. They both put their things away, judging they had worked enough for today and instead they started to work on their dinner. She took a look at the content of his fridge with him and they came to the conclusion that they should do pastas with cooked zucchinis. Finan declared that he could make the pastas, and Saegyth realized how what she thought was the easiest thing on Earth to cook could actually be difficult. 

"Oh my god Finan, didn't you watch the time?" She exclaimed after tasting a definitely overcooked pasta. 

"I forgot." He grimaced, staring at the disaster. He waved his hands when she gave him a desperate look. "What? I was distracted." He said in his defence. 

She huffed amusingly. "You were?" She raised an eyebrow. 

He nodded, leaning slightly above her. "Aye, but ya should watch your pan, or we'll eat burned zucchinis with my delicious pastas." 

She laughed before narrowing her eyes. "I'm not that easily distracted." She declared, crossing her arms. He raised an eyebrow again, challenging her. But she turned around and took a wooden spoon to turn the vegetables in the pan. "It's almost ready, maybe you can set the table." 

"Yes ma'am!" He said obediently and she rolled her eyes. 

Fortunately, the zucchinis weren't burned, but they still had to eat the overcooked pastas. Though, she succeeded to forget this fact as her whole mind was focused on the man sitting in front of her. She couldn't help but think about last night again, what he said earlier, and if it would happen again tonight. There would be no music and, thank God, no Sihtric to interrupt them. The thought remained in the corner of her mind, as they talked. 

This time their discussion seemed more personal than usual. In an hour she learned more of him than in the past two months. He, surprisingly, vaguely talked of why he left Ireland, saying he just wanted to get away from his family. She didn't push the discussion further, remembering his reaction last night, but felt honoured that he decided to share a little of it with her. 

When they finished dinner, it was still raining like it was the Great Flood. 

"You're sure I can stay here for the night?" She asked him, not wanting to take advantage of his kindness. 

He turned around, taking the plate she was handing him. "I'm sure." He confirmed before turning again and putting the plate on the pile on a shelf. 

"Thank you very much." She waited for him to face her to continue. "For everything you did for me since we met. You didn't have to." 

"That's where ya're mistaking." He replied, leaning against the counter. "I did have to." 

She confusedly frowned at him, there wasn't any smirk on his face and she suddenly got scared she had been mistaking on in fact everything. 

"I had to do all of this, not only because it felt right to do so, but also because I wanted to see ya." 

She felt like her heart had suddenly stopped to beat as she kept holding his gaze. He stepped toward her until she had to lift her chin slightly to look at him in the eyes. 

"So it wasn't pure charity." She teased and she felt satisfied as the sound of his warm laugh reached her ears. 

"Not totally." He admitted with a lopsided smile.

"We have a common point then." He raised a brow and she smirked. "I kept coming because I also wanted to see you." 

He chuckled again, his eyes sparking as he detailed her face. And slowly, despite the lack of music, the same tension that last night grew between them. His palm cupped the side of her face, his thumb grazing in the same tender way on her cheek as he leaned his face down to hers. When his nose touched hers, she closed eyes, his hot breath mixing with hers. And finally, she felt his lips against hers, his kiss so delicate she felt as if she was a masterpiece. 

When he moved away, she was smiling fondly, her whole body shivering at what just happened. She opened her eyes and was pleased to see the same expression on Finan's face.

"I feel like a girl who just had her first kiss." She confessed, blushing. 

Finan grinned, his hand sliding in her hair. "Let's not make it the last then." 

She gladly welcomed his mouth, this time more eager, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. There was something almost natural with kissing him, as if it had always been meant to be. His hands slid down her waist to rest on her hips, but he didn't go further. When they separated, both out of breath, Finan pressed a kiss on her forehead. 

"We should go to sleep." He said and she reluctantly nodded. 

Saegyth had obviously nothing to wear for the night, so Finan lent her a t-shirt and sweatpants. When she walked out of the bathroom, she frowned at him as he was dropping a cushion and a cover on the couch. 

"What are you doing?" She asked him, confused.

He turned around. "Makin' my bed." He answered, speaking slowly as if he was a child just being caught doing something foolish. 

"Finan, you just kissed me. I think we can at least share a bed now." She said with an amused smile. 

He sighed in relief and took back his cushion before walking towards her again. "Good, because sleepin' on this is pretty much like sleepin' on the damn floor." He explained, making her giggle before she kissed him lightly. 

Not long after, they crawled to bed, facing each other in the dark. Saegyth shyly let her fingers brush his bearded cheek until Finan turned his head to kiss her wrist tenderly. It wasn't the first time she was sleeping with a man, but never before it felt so intimate even though they were still fully clothed. In fact, a lot of things she thought she knew got swept away by Finan. What she had felt before suddenly sounding like only a prelude of what he would make her feel.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WEEKS!! WEEKS I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS !! And I'm pretty happy with it! I thought it would be a good idea to write their meeting and how they ended up together in a modern AU ahah.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed as much as I enjoyed writing it ! Love on yall 💕


	3. "What about a break?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saegyth said she would come late for dinner, so Finan decided to bring dinner to her office and maybe more...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's still 8 am, and here I am, posting a smut. I am blaming @poguesmaybank once again. Like all the time I post modern AU smut about Finan and Saegyth. To be faire it's been waiting for a while in my docs, 2 months? Anyway, E N J O Y.

Saegyth twirled her pen between her fingers, concentrating on the paper she was reading. This was the biggest case she ever had since she was working on her own. Well in fact two other lawyers were working with her, but each of them had their own cases and rarely came to interfere in others work. Though, this time she would have gladly welcomed some help. She sighed leaning back in her chair and dropping her pen. 

She looked at the clock on the wall, it was already past 8pm. She grabbed her phone, intending to warn Finan she wouldn't be home for dinner, but she got a call from him first. She picked up and made her rolling chair turn. 

"Hi darling." She frowned when she heard the sound of a car through the phone. "You're not at home?"

"I'm not!" He replied and she could easily imagine that a grin was plastered on his face. "I'm in front of the office, can ya open me?" 

Saegyth stood up, confused about why he was here. Usually he would be at home at this hour, waiting for her for dinner. "What are you doing here?" She asked him, even though she was walking out of her office toward the front door and would have the answer soon enough.

"Ya sound pleased to see me." He replied, making her roll her eyes.

She hung up and unlocked the door to find herself face to face with her smirking fiancee, holding in one hand a paper bag. "I'm taking no more clients at this hour, sir." She said, leaning against the door's frame.

"Even if they brin' food?" Finan raised an eyebrow and shook the bag slightly. 

She smiled and he immediately leaned to catch her lips. She pulled him in and locked the door behind him while he was looking around. It wasn't the first time Finan was coming, but it was rare enough for him to feel as he needed to recognize everything before staring back at her. 

"You said you'd finish late, so I thought you might be hungry." He explained as she stepped forward to take a look at what was in the paper bag. 

"Sushi! You read my mind, I was craving for some at lunch." She smiled and he chucked. 

"Maybe." 

Saegyth shook her head before walking into her office, Finan close behind her. She piled up the folder spread on the desk to make space and let Finan rest the two boxes of sushis. 

"Ya're alone?" He questioned her, sitting on one of the two chairs usually for the clients. 

Saegyth nodded, taking a salmon roll, her favourites and for once Finan didn't forget to take a box of them. "Medwin left a hour ago." 

"So ya're alone." He grinned after leaning forward to dip a sushi in the soy sauce and bite in it.

She narrowed her eyes, he had something in mind, however she pretended not noticing it and kept talking of her day with him, until the two boxes were empty and her stomach was filled. She sunk in her chair again, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips. 

"Thank you for the dinner." She said, eyeing him as he crossed the room to drop the boxes in the trash. 

He was still wearing his work clothes, consisting of a shirt, a blue-gray one today, and a simple jean. It was casualer than her own look for work, but it was fitting him perfectly, his shirt highlighting the shape of his torso and his broad shoulders. 

"You should surprise me more often." She added, grabbing a folder and taking the document she was previously working on. "I like it." 

He turned around, smirking widely and she couldn't help but bite the tip of her pen. He walked back to her and made her chair turn so he could stoop towards her, his hands clasped around the armrests. His face was an inch from hers and she could smell his perfume, it had a woody smell that she always found heartwarming mixed with a subtle odor of iris, making it hard to not just bury her own face in his neck.

"I can still surprise ya." He tilted his head, one of his hands moving to her bare thigh under the skirt of her dress. His palm was cold, spreading goosebumps on her skin.

"I have work to do." She replied but it didn't discourage Finan, whose fingers were now playing with the elastic band of her underwear which didn't help the smirk dancing on her lips.

"What about a break?" 

In fact, he didn't wait for her answer, his lips crashing on hers in a first soft kiss, tasting sweet soy sauce. She answered quickly, her hand sliding in his hair, eager for more. She felt him grin against her mouth teasing her flesh before finally easing the ache that had started to grow between her legs. She pressed her head against the seatback, his finger drawing a first circle at the apex of her fold. Her own fingers curled in his hair while she started to unbutton his shirt, now craving to feel his warm skin. 

“I hope there isn’t any security cam.” He chuckled, his mouth tracing a hot path along her neck. 

An amused huffed passed between her lips before she bit her lower one when Finan shifted his hand, to tease her entrance and she instinctively rocked her hips. She moaned at the bliss he was tactfully building in her, working again on undoing his buttons. Then, she undid his belt, removing the shirt from his trousers to finally let her palm slid on his chest. He caught her lips once again and at how rough his kiss was, his tongue meeting hers yearningly, swallowing her whimpers, she guessed he was impatient to feel his own pleasure. 

“Make space on the desk.” She commanded him, pushing him away slightly. Finan grinned, his hand moving from between her legs. He grabbed the pile of folders and looked around for somewhere to put it. “Put it on the floor.” She said, standing up. 

“Alright!” Finan shrugged and he let the pile fall on the floor. 

She grabbed the edge of his shirt, sliding the sleeves down his arms, and then her hands wandered on his torso, her mouth drawing the line of his collarbone. She stepped back until her thighs bumped on the desk, and with a smirk playing on her lips she sat on it. She removed her shoes, then her underwear, Finan observing her with pure lust burning in his eyes. She took his hand and led him between her knees, welcoming his lips.

“I hope you’re not planning on making a habit of this.” She said between kisses along his jaw while working on pulling down his trousers and boxer just enough and he on the zip at the back of her dress so she could remove the sleeves. 

“As if ya’d mind?” He grinned, unclasping her bra and tossing it on the floor. 

She chuckled, lying down on the desk, Finan kissing a hot line from her stomach to shoulder, his mouth paying enough attention to her breast to make her sigh contentedly. She could feel him hard between her thighs and she couldn’t help but rub herself against him, provoking his deep growl that vibrated against her skin. He grabbed her hips roughly, adjusting her before finally guiding himself in her, his palm then travelling up her body as they both moaned. Saegyth’s legs encircled his hips and her hand gripped her own hair as he began to thrust, firmly gripping her waist. His movements were frank and quickly built an euphoric feeling in her mind, and she prayed for none of her coworkers to unexpectedly come back to their office for whatever reason as she found herself unable to not express her pleasure.

Finan leaned down to her, kissing and nipping the soft skin of her neck between his groans, his breath heavy as the sound reached her ears. She wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting to feel his body more against hers, the warmth of it as it grazed over hers regularly, making her lose her mind. Her hand slid in his thick hair, fingers pulling it lightly as she came apart, her thighs tightening around his hips and his name falling from her lips. In a last deep thrust, Finan came as well, his forehead pressed against her shoulder. 

He started to chuckle, still out of breath but utterly satisfied, his body heavier on Saegyth’s while her fingers were brushing the nape of his neck. She turned her head so she could nuzzle his messy hair, the smell of his perfume still keen. 

“Ya should work late more often.” He said with a smirk, pushing himself up to see her face. “And let me come here with dinner.”

“I doubt I would really work.” She laughed, but a tender kiss shut her up.

“T'would be just for a break.” He grinned, moving away to put back his boxer and trousers correctly. 

She shook her head in amusement and sat up. She pulled him toward her, her arms wrapping around his waist and her head resting against his chest, the sudden need to hug him overwhelming her. He immediately embraced her with his strong arms and she sighed appreciatively as he kissed the top of her head. 

“I think I’m going to continue this tomorrow. I really need a bed right now.” Finan growled and she looked up to find him smiling broadly. “To sleep.” She specified. 

“Of course, darlin’.” He replied, trying to act as innocent as he was able to. 

Once they were properly dressed again, they went back to their flat. Half true to her words, Saegyth let herself fall in bed as soon as they were home but didn't find the will to push Finan away when he started to kiss a path down between her legs. They fell asleep, body tangled together, the pleasant feeling of exhaustion running through their veins after sex, later than she had planned. But she definitely wasn't regretting it.

  
  



End file.
